SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Looking for something?

Whistler Independent Book Awards Nominees Announced

Nominees for the longlist of the Whistler Independent Book Awards were announced today by the award organizers, the Whistler Writing Society and Vivalogue Publishing. Titles have been nominated in four categories – fiction, non-fiction, crime fiction and poetry – and the full list is printed below. Submissions closed on June 6, and the longlisting committee has been evaluating entries since the awards were launched in March.

“We were very pleased by the number of quality titles entered. As established supporters of independent authors, we were proud to be able to forward such well written, well produced books to the Vancouver Branch of the Canadian Authors Association, who will be selecting the finalists,” said committee chair, Lynn Duncan. Authors from all across Canada, including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, are on the longlist, making the awards a genuinely national affair. “Because of the high quality of a number of entries not longlisted, we have decided to award WIBA Honourable Mentions to those books we assessed as having significant merit,” explained Lynn.

These prestigious, rigorously judged awards have been established to recognize excellence in self-publishing and are open to Canadian authors or permanent residents who have independently published a book or books in the last five years. The three finalists in each category will be announced on July 18, and the shortlist will be judged by a panel including a respected Canadian author or poet and an appointee of the Whistler Writing Society.

Judging the Fiction category will be author and translator Genni Gunn, whose most recent novel, Solitaria, was nominated for the 2011 Giller Prize. J.J. Lee, whose debut book, The Measure of a Man, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, will judge the Non-Fiction category. Crime novelist, journalist and publisher Linda L. Richards will judge the Crime Fiction category, while former Vancouver Poet Laureate Evelyn Lau will judge the Poetry category.

The winners will be announced at this year’s Whistler Writers Festival (October 13–16) at the Literary Cabaret gala evening on October 14. There is a prize of $500 for each winner, with $250 for each finalist. Additional benefits include author participation at the Festival and the opportunity to pitch their winning works to publishers and agents attending the event.

About the Whistler Writers Festival: Now in its 15th year, the Whistler Writers Festival has hosted more than 100 leading Canadian authors. This year, the event runs from October 13 – 16. The Festival is organized by the Whistler Writing Society, which also sponsors a Writer in Residence and Authors in Schools program.

About Vivalogue Publishing: Vivalogue offers comprehensive print and online publishing and editorial services for individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations. In addition to its work with independent authors, Vivalogue partnered with Heritage House Publishing to create a new young adult imprint, Wandering Fox Books.